This invention relates to a vehicle bumper and to accessories attachable thereto and to a combination of such a bumper and such an accessory.
The invention will be described herein as applied to a 1986 Honda TRX 350 4.times.4 all terrain vehicle, but it is by no means limited thereto.
The reader may be interested in the following prior U.S. patents which were found in a patentability search hereon:
______________________________________ U.S. Pat. No. Date Inventor ______________________________________ 1,865,365 June 28, 1932 Foote 2,425,892 August 19, 1947 Michaels 2,499,654 March 7, 1950 Kuhlman 2,646,910 July 28, 1953 Wiershing 4,214,776 July 29, 1980 Nurse ______________________________________
Foote discloses an adjustable platform for the rear of a tractor. The platform comprises a pair of clips securable to the transmission housing and having perforated vertical portions and hooks, etc. The structure is adjustable for the operator's convenience and is quite complex. The platform is not bumper mounted.
Michaels teaches a pickup bed for a tractor having a horizontal drawbar that is connected to the tractor by two horizontal tension links. The pickup bed comprises a box-like receptacle resting on the drawbar and equally on each side thereof. A pin passes through registering holes in the receptacle and the drawbar to prevent the receptacle from shifting and brackets on the receptacle secure one end of the receptacle to the tension links.
Kuhlman relates to a bracket and supporting attachment to enable farm implements to be carried on the sides of a tractor.
Wiershing discloses a tractor transport box that is attachable to the draft or other carrying structure of various types of agricultural tractors, for carrying medium size loads.
Nurse teaches a transport platform or box that is attachable to a three point hitch assembly of a tractor.
These prior patents do not show or suggest a system for hitching or attaching an accessory to the bumper of a vehicle and further do not show a system for attaching an accessory to any portion of a vehicle in the manner of the present invention and are believed to be irrelevant hereto.
It is an important object of the invention to provide a simple, reliable system for attaching or hitching accessories to vehicles, such as all terrain vehicles.
It is a further object to provide such a system enabling attachment or removal of an accessory to the bumper in a very short period of time, perhaps as little as one minute or even less.
It is an additional object to provide such a system enabling more than one accessory to be attached to the vehicle bumper at the same time, in stacked fashion.
Other objects and advantages will appear hereinafter.